Malaria in Limpopo

Chago · Jun 15, 2019

Hello everyone. Long time no talk. I've been really busy with family and work. Trying to pay off my first African hunt hahaha. Last year I popped my cherry and had my first African hunt on the eastern cape. Took a kudu, sable, nyala, gemsbok, impala, zebra, blue wildebeest and a blesbuck on a 7 day hunt. Man did I ever love the whole experience. I was already looking up options for the next trip on the flight home.

So this time around I'm debating going to the Limpopo region. Near the Zimbabwe border. From what I have been reading if you want giant kudu. That is where you need to go. All if fine and dandy, looks like it's just a different connection in Johan is all. But my one fear is. I'm reading this is high risk malaria zone. How concerned should I be? I plan on going during the kudu rut in June, possibly July. I understand that's winter as my trip last year was in August and we had many days around the freezing mark. Please educate me on this. Thanks.

CAustin · Jun 15, 2019

If you have any concern have your physician write a script for Malarone! Take it and go have fun......Again!

WAB · Jun 15, 2019

Go, have fun, but take your meds. We talked ourselves out of malaria meds in Botswana last year as it was August. We had a great trip, but about 9 days after returning home I came down with malaria. It was the nasty variety that goes cerebral. Very treatable but typically fatal if untreated. Luckily I am very familiar with malaria and it’s symptoms and got to an infectious disease ward immediately. Much of the malaria in Limpopo is the same strain, not to be taken lightly.

On a humorous side note, if you want to see a fire drill, walk in to an ER, tell them you’ve been to Africa, and you have a fever. You are an immediate VIP, or some thing like that!!!

Hammergun · Jun 15, 2019

My wife and I went to Limpopo a few years ago. Before traveling, we went to the travel clinic at University of Maryland hospital in Baltimore. The doctor we saw was a malaria researcher who travels to Limpopo frequently. He said that we definitely needed to take an antimalarial medication. He said the maps you see online are meaningless. It all depends on the weather conditions and the malaria areas are constantly changing.

BenKK · Jun 15, 2019

Good advice here, following for more info. Anyone find malaria meds affect the serenity of their daily spiritual quest in the thunder box?

Graham Hunter · Jun 15, 2019

Have hunted the Limpopo twice. Took Malerone no problems. Do not take Mefloquine too many people have some serious side effects.

BRICKBURN · Jun 15, 2019

Chago said:
............ I plan on going during the kudu rut in June, possibly July. .......

FYI, Kudu rut is in typically in May.

postoak · Jun 16, 2019

Where I hunted near Alldays, it is so dry it never occurred to me that it might be a malarial area but I just looked and the map shows it as either intermediate risk or low risk. I guess I dodged a bullet.

I wonder if going in autumn and winter makes a difference to the risk.

WAB · Jun 17, 2019

postoak said:
Where I hunted near Alldays, it is so dry it never occurred to me that it might be a malarial area but I just looked and the map shows it as either intermediate risk or low risk. I guess I dodged a bullet.

I wonder if going in autumn and winter makes a difference to the risk.

Read my post above. You don’t want to experience what I went through!

Jeffrey · Jun 17, 2019

I’m taking Malarone.

fourfive8 · Jun 17, 2019

I've gone with and without malaria prophylaxis depending on area and time of year. I have trouble distinguishing between the effects of Malarone (or generic equivalent) and mild jet lag. Really not too bad of a side effect for me but I do seem to be a little fuzzy headed when on it. Some say it affects them quite a bit though. If marginal area- still better safe than sorry.

Most risk?? On several occasions in SE Asia I've luckily dodged two real and common possibilities... malaria and dengue. Have dodged a bullet on tick fever in Africa if number of bites increases odds!! Good idea to check on tick numbers in your area before going and use some form of repellent/prevention if numbers are high- I think permethrin may be one of the more effective ones.

IdaRam · Jun 17, 2019

I have similar side effects as fourfive8 from Malarone. Mildly annoying but a small price to pay when in an active malaria area.
A strong second on Permethrin. Amazing stuff, I use it regularly here in the U.S. and always treat my clothing before heading to Africa. My hunting partner had tick issues in Zim last year and came home with Tick Bite Fever. I had no issues.
Go to a travel clinic prior to your trip and get Malarone, Doxycycline and Cipro. Doxy in case of TBF and Cipro as a broad spectrum antibiotic. You will probably not need them, but if you do you will be very glad you had them.
Go hunting without concern knowing you are well prepared.

spike.t · Jun 18, 2019

IdaRam said:
I have similar side effects as fourfive8 from Malarone. Mildly annoying but a small price to pay when in an active malaria area.
A strong second on Permethrin. Amazing stuff, I use it regularly here in the U.S. and always treat my clothing before heading to Africa. My hunting partner had tick issues in Zim last year and came home with Tick Bite Fever. I had no issues.
Go to a travel clinic prior to your trip and get Malarone, Doxycycline and Cipro. Doxy in case of TBF and Cipro as a broad spectrum antibiotic. You will probably not need them, but if you do you will be very glad you had them.
Go hunting without concern knowing you are well prepared.

Get the generic malarone its cheaper. I take it and no issues ..but then again lariam didn't affect me either...but I know people it affected pretty unpleasantly so stay away from it. And get the antibiotics to take but DON'T take them just for the sake of it!!! As improper use is reducing the effectiveness of a lot of the antibiotics that are available. .....which is very bad news......

Red Leg · Jun 18, 2019

Issues with anti-malarial drugs are now pretty rare. I’ve been deployed where we were on one or the other for months at a time with rarely a problem with any of our troops. There was an uptick when it became a media story, but I doubt the actual cases were any higher. Malarone is particularly easy for the vast majority of users.

I second the anti-biotic recommendation. Having Cipro along has bailed me out of trouble hunting or traveling internationally several times (all I have to do is fly over India). And as @spike.t suggests they are there only if needed.

Graham Hunter · Jun 18, 2019

If you get bit by ticks stop the Malerone and start the Doxycycline but don't take them together .

Countrylife · Jun 19, 2019

Malerone and Doxycycline are both used for malaria prevention. Check out the pro's and con's as listed by the CDC. There are 6 medications listed on their website.

https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html

gebo824 · Jun 27, 2019

I came back from Limpopo last year May with tick bite fever, started feeling ill on the plane back. They gave me Doxy here & took care of it after a week. Take the repellent! Like a dummy I didn't even think about malaria beforehand so didn't get/take anything for that. The tick bite fever was a wake-up. My kit will have additions next time.

Malaria in Limpopo

Chago

CAustin

WAB

Hammergun

BenKK

Graham Hunter

BRICKBURN

postoak

WAB

Jeffrey

fourfive8

IdaRam

spike.t

Red Leg

Graham Hunter

Countrylife

gebo824

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